


And You Were My Prey

by katayla



Category: Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews
Genre: cats and buffaloes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 19:45:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2744798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katayla/pseuds/katayla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keira decides to do something about Eduardo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And You Were My Prey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eris_kyrall (kereia)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kereia/gifts).



> Thank you to my betas! And thanks to nonnie for the title!

"He called her his mate," Keira said. Jim had piled Dali's plate with vegetables of all kinds and the two of them sat surrounded by family members, chatting away. Okay, Jim wasn't chatting, but he wasn't scowling, which meant _something_. Keira and her sisters stood in a corner of the backyard, their plates piled high with steak and ribs. 

Laurie snorted. "That surprises you? Our brother would never bring a woman here if she _wasn't_ his mate."

Most of the family brought friends and casual boyfriends and girlfriends to their family barbecues, but Jim had never brought anyone before and Keira knew for a fact that he checked up on every guest everyone else brought.

"I know," Keira said. "But . . ."

"You're all alone?" Maya asked. "Stuck in declining old age, full of loneliness and sadness and despair?"

"I'm not old!" Keira said. "Or lonely! Or sad!"

Her sisters both laughed at her.

"So just full of despair then," Laurie said.

Keira frowned and stalked off. Little sisters were terrible. Of course, _they_ had been mated for years. Had kids. She'd never really thought Jim would . . . it's just, he had always seemed so self-sufficient, so fiercely independant, a cat through and through.

And so was she. She'd had things to do with her life and it was _better_ not to have a mate. And it wasn't like they were Clan Nimble. Nobody cared if she wanted to stay single for the rest of her life. They'd leave her alone about it. 

Keira had thought she didn't care either. She'd loved her time in the Army and she loved being back with the Pack. She hadn't been looking for anyone or anything other than what she had.

It was all Jim's fault anyway. Getting mated. Sending her after stupid werebuffaloes. Sending her on missions with stupid werebuffaloes.

Maybe it was all the werebuffalo's fault.

"Stop scowling. You're scaring Dali." Jim had appeared next to her. He had a beer in his hand and looked almost relaxed, as he took a long drink and sprawled against the tree opposite her.

"If she's your mate, then she can handle scowling."

"You don't like her."

"What?" Keira pushed off from the tree she'd been leaning against. "Dali's great."

"Then what's the problem?"

"There is no problem."

"Hm," Jim said.

After a few seconds, Jim's attention wandered back to Dali, who was now surrounded by cousins. Dali was waving her hands in the air as she explained something and Keira could _almost_ see a smile on her brother's face. Some of that intenseness that always surrounded her brother had . . . not gone away, but _changed_. Like he had become a fuller version of himself and was ready to take on the world. Jim, of all people, in love.

She wanted that.

"Hey, didn't you help Kate break into Curran's quarters?" Keira asked.

"No."

"Yes, you did. Kate told me."

"Kate talks too much," Jim said. "And I'm not helping you break into Eduardo's house."

"Okay, I don't need any help breaking into his house. Not that I'm doing that."

"Hm."

"But has he broken any laws lately? Need me to hunt him down?"

Jim glared at her.

"Come on, work with me here, Jim. Maybe Curran could create a new law he broke?"

"No," Jim said. "I'm going to talk to my mate now."

Keira kicked at the ground. "Rub it in, why don't you?"

Jim sighed loudly. "Eduardo is scared of you. Maybe you should try making him not scared of you."

She kind of liked Eduardo being scared of her. It was funny. But he was also delicious. In all kinds of ways.

Maybe she could work with scared and delicious.

*

The next day, Keira strolled through the Keep, searching for a certain scent. She knew Eduardo was here somewhere. She'd managed to wrestle that much out of Jim.

She finally tracked him down the second floor and fell behind him, careful to keep out of sight and scent range. He ambled through the Keep, no idea she was behind behind him. She liked seeing him like this. So much of their time had been spent in tense situations. Her tracking him down. Both of them surrounded by enemies in the Black Sea. But in the Keep, they were at home. He nodded and smiled at people he passed in the hall.

She wanted him. Always had, from the moment she saw him. If they'd met under different circumstances, she probably would've pursued him right away. Instead, she'd had to enforce the Pack's rules. After that, she couldn't help teasing him just a little every time they met.

Now, though, she just watched him.

The next day, Keira saw Eduardo outside the Keep, walking with a couple of rats, and waited until the wind was blowing just right . . . stepped into it and . . . Eduardo stopped. He froze for five full seconds and then turned slowly in a complete circle. 

He wouldn't find her. Not with his eyes and not with his nose. That wasn't the game.

After a while, he gave up and entered the Keep. Keira slipped away. That was enough for her day. He would be thinking of her.

On the following day, she let him see her. Just a quick glimpse and then she melted behind a wall. He spent a long time staring at the spot where she disappeared.

After that, she stayed out of sight and scent, but she could tell he was looking for her by the way his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings.

*

Then, finally, she decided to make her approach. She thought she might have to wait a few days to catch him alone, but on the very day she made her decision, she found him alone in one of the Keep's kitchens.

"Hey, Eduardo."

Eduardo was spreading peanut butter and jelly on a piece of bread. He already a stack of five sandwiches. He didn't say anything to her, but finished making his sandwiches, put his supplies away, and then looked at her.

He held out a sandwich. "Want one?"

Keira stared at it. He was offering her _food_?

"Clan Heavy isn't very subtle, Keira, but I know when a cat is stalking me. Either I've broken some law I've never heard of or you have something else in mind."

She reached out and took the sandwich. He watched her as she took a bite. Swallowed. "It's good."

"It's peanut butter and jelly."

But he gave her food. That was the important thing. "I thought you were scared of me."

"Oh, I am."

Keira smiled. "Good."

And she pounced on him.


End file.
